This invention relates to a golf swing instructional device and a method of teaching a golf swing using such a device. More particularly, this invention relates to a device and method for teaching a golfer a swing which minimizes lower body lateral motion during the golf swing.
The game of golf has been played and refined by amateur and professional alike for decades. During this time the golf swing has been constantly evolving until currently, given the type of ball, equipment and course design now commonly provided, the modern golf swing consists of what is descriptively, and accurately referred to as employing a xe2x80x9cquiet lower bodyxe2x80x9d. Generally speaking this term means that in effecting a proper golf swing from an initial proper posture, whether a driver, a midiron or a wedge etc. is being used, lateral movement of the hips and upper legs should be minimized.
Minimizing lateral movement of the lower body normally must be taught because it is not a normal act performed by a beginner golfer who often sways and looses a portion of his balance when trying to hit the ball. While proper rotation of the hips, in this regard, is a central feature of a good golf swing, excessive lateral rearward sway upon club take-back at the beginning of the swing and/or excessive lateral forward sway of the hips during the downswing results in bad timing, loss of balance and finally a weakened, poor shot.
While several teaching professionals now manually instruct their students to employ a xe2x80x9cquiet lower bodyxe2x80x9d as described above, they are often less than fully successful due to the difficulty of the pupil carrying out such an oral instruction. Moreover, while numerous teaching aids for developing a golf swing have been invented and developed over the years, none is known to have successfully addressed the specific ability to improve the teaching professional""s ability to teach and have his pupil learn a proper xe2x80x9cquiet lower bodyxe2x80x9d golf swing; nor to address the ability of the golfer to learn and/or to practice such a xe2x80x9cquiet lower bodyxe2x80x9d swing on his/her own.
In view of the above it is apparent that there exists a need in the art for a device and method which effectively addresses the ability of the golfer to learn the modern xe2x80x9cquiet lower bodyxe2x80x9d golf swing, or stated another way, which teaches the golfer to minimize at least forward lateral sway and preferably both rearward and forward lateral sway.
Generally speaking this invention fulfills the above needs in the art by providing a golf swing instructional device comprising a frame member which includes at least three points of constraint for minimizing lateral movement of a golfer""s lower body within preselected limits during a golf swing when the golfer is located within the frame member and as the golfer progresses through the golf swing. The points of constraint employed include:
a) a rear point of constraint;
b) a lower point of constraint; and
c) a forward lateral point of constraint.
The points of constraint are located each with respect to the other such that when the golfer assumes a proper posture to initiate his golf swing, his buttocks is located proximal the rear point of constraint and simultaneously therewith the lower point of constraint is located proximal a rear area of the golfer""s rearward leg at a point located between his knee and upper calf and the forward lateral point of constraint is spaced a preselected lateral distance at a point located in a horizontal plane with the golfer""s upper forward leg. In such a position, when the golfer properly executes a golf swing when so positioned, no portion of the golfer""s upper forward leg between the golfer""s forward hip and forward knee will contact the forward lateral point of constraint.
In certain preferred embodiments the device further includes a rearward lateral point of constraint which is located with respect to the other points of constraint such that simultaneously with the golfer being in his/her proper swing posture (position) and located as aforesaid with respect to the other points of constraint, the rearward lateral point of constraint is spaced a preselected lateral distance at a point located in a horizontal plane from the golfer""s upper rearward leg; such that a properly executed golf swing by the golfer will cause no portion of his/her rearward upper leg between his/her rearward hip and rearward knee to contact the rearward lateral point of constraint.
This invention, in fulfilling the above needs in the art, also provides a method of instructing a golfer to perform a proper golf swing with minimized lower body lateral motion, the steps including:
a) providing at least three constraints for positioning a golfer""s body in relation thereto such that when so positioned the golfer assumes the proper posture for initiating a golf swing,
the constraints including a rear constraint, a lower constraint, and a forward lateral constraint;
b) positioning the golfer in the aforesaid proper posture such that his buttocks is located proximal the rear constraint, an area at the rear of his rearward leg between his knee and upper calf is located proximal the lower constraint and the forward lateral surface of his upper forward leg at a point between the knee and hip of the forward leg is spaced a preselected distance from the forward lateral constraint; and
c) performing a golf swing by the golfer when in the aforesaid proper posture without contacting the forward lateral constraint at any time throughout the swing thereby to have engaged in a golf swing with the aforesaid minimized lower body motion.
In certain preferred embodiments of this method, there is further provided a rearward lateral constraint and the method further includes positioning the golfer such that the rearward lateral surface of his rearward upper leg at a point between his hip and knee is spaced a preselected distance from the rearward lateral constraint. When, then, the golf swing is performed with the golfer so positioned, and in the proper posture, the upper rearward leg of the golfer does not contract the rearward lateral constraint at any time throughout the swing.
This invention will now be described with respect to certain embodiments thereof as illustrated in the following drawings wherein: